41 comments:

Remember great architectural achievements of the 1920s like the Chrysler building? I feel that America peaked at that moment and it's been downhill ever since. No the iPhone is not the cultural achievement of those early Manhattan skyscrapers.

The "High Roller" ferris wheel in Las Vegas provides a fantastic view of that city, especially awesome at night. It lasts about 1/2 hour, and best of all, they serve adult beverages! I like this idea if they do likewise, as long as it's not packing them in too tight.

Even better would be a zip line that goes all around the city starting on top of the Sears Tower and zipping from sight to sight until you eventually end up on the ground. Summer only of course.

The idea that this, on its own, will lure an add'l 1.4 million visitors to Chicago seems outlandish, even accepting that this 'article' is just fluff and noise. There's an aerial tramway that connects Manhattan to Roosevelt Island. Very doubtful that anyone comes here specially to ride on it. Since Chicago is flat broke, I'd be surprised if this ever gets built.

This gondola reminds me of the so-called "Cavalese cable car disaster". On February 3, 1998, a US Marine Corps Prowler airplane flew underneath a gondola cable at a ski resort in Cavalese, Italy. The airplane's tail hit and broke the cable, and a gondola crashed to the ground. All 20 people in the gondola were killed.

The pilot was tried by a US military court in 1999 and was acquitted in March 1999. (The charges against the co-pilot were dropped before the trial.) The pilot's successful defense was that he was practicing low-altitude flight and did not know about the gondola cable.

The acquittal was outrageous, because most people understood that the pilot flew underneath the cable deliberately as a stunt. One of the plane's crew members had brought along a camcorder and filmed the airplane flying under the cable. Immediately after the flight, the video was destroyed. All the crew members remained silent about the camcorder until August 1998, when one of the members was given immunity in exchange for telling about the camcorder.

A second trial was conducted in May 1999, and this time the pilot and co-pilot were convicted for obstruction of justice for destroying the video.

Well I think it looks pretty cool. And if it gets built I plan to ride it. Some further thoughts:

1. I can't tell from the article whether this project is being developed privately or by taxpayers. If it's private, I am all for it.

2. It would not attract 1 million more annual tourists to Chicago. That is pure wishful thinking. But it might attract a few, and it would certainly be a part of many a tourist's itinerary while in the area.

3. But why restrict it to tourists? If it runs regularly all day and year-round, wouldn't commuters want to use it? I know if I lived uptown and worked downtown, I would rather ride that thing than drive and park, or take a cab or subway.

Some alderman's BIL is going to make a killing. And by extension the mayor. In Chicago it's called the "trickle up" economy."3. But why restrict it to tourists? "The locals can't afford it. Property tax increases, you know.

I think the "real" reason for this thing is to help keep Navy Pier going. A problem with Navy Pier is that its not close enough to any other attractions, and the walk to Navy Pier is a long and boring one. And once you're there, the pier itself is a bit of a hike as well. To look at the drawings, it appears that the only "commuters" who would benefit would have to live in Lake Point Tower.

"Steven Davis, Partner at Davis Brody Bond, said: 'We realised that without creating an innovative mode of transport, directly connecting the Loop with Navy Pier, we would leave a trove of potential visitors untapped.'"

Sounds like the perfect setting for Nighthawks II. Both Rutger Hauer and Stallone are still around. Since its Chicago it would be a cool twist if this time Wulgar comes out on top. I can see Karen Lewis in a cameo as one of the brave hostages, and Rahm Emanuel playing himself and absolutely refusing to negotiate with the terrorists, leading to the dramatic but tragic ending that lights up the white city during a city wide debt-induced blackout.

Blogger CWJ said...I think the "real" reason for this thing is to help keep Navy Pier going. A problem with Navy Pier is that its not close enough to any other attractions, and the walk to Navy Pier is a long and boring one. And once you're there, the pier itself is a bit of a hike as well. To look at the drawings, it appears that the only "commuters" who would benefit would have to live in Lake Point Tower.

Plus,like, the Daley family mke a shit pot of money off the concessions.

The lighting and isolation of the glass bubbles have a real potential to save lives, especially those of innocent bystanders.. I just don't understand how gang members will be able to entice their rivals to enter those glass bubbles.

I took a train (Amtrak) from NYC to Chicago a few years ago. Just outside of the Windy City, somewhere in Indiana, our conductor gave a lecture on how to behave when we arrived, among other things she said: "Do not set you bags down anywhere in the station or around the station and do not accept any offers to carry your bags from any strangers. Only the Redcaps should carry your bags," or words to that effect. None of the train crew looked excited to get to this tourist destination.

Of course, if you close your eyes and wish very hard, while you are there, you can still see the remnants of the shattered Olympic dream lying about.